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2027 Student paper competition

CBHD invites undergraduate and graduate students in any field to submit papers that address questions associated with our conference theme, AI and bioethics, or that engage more broadly with other foundational and emerging bioethical issues raised at the intersections of medicine, science, technology, and our common humanity. For more information, see the Submission Guidelines below.

2027 Annual Conference

The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity
34th Annual Summer Conference
June 24–26, 2027
LeTourneau University, Longview, TX, USA

Deadline: All papers must be submitted online by February 1, 2027.

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER

Prize Information

  • $250, to be awarded at the conference
  • Waived conference registration fee
  • Consideration for publication with CBHD
  • The author will present the winning paper during a parallel paper session at the annual conference (June 24–26, 2027)

Submission guidelines

All serious papers relevant to the study of Christian bioethics are welcome, particularly those in the following subject areas:

- Biblical and/or Theological Anthropology
- Biblical and/or Theological Approaches to Cultural Engagement
- Biblical and/or Theological Ethics
- General Bioethics
- Biotechnology
- Disability
- Emerging Technologies
- End-of-Life Issues
- Ethical Theory
- Historical Theology and/or Perspectives
- Philosophy of Medicine
- Reproductive Technology and Ethics
- Technology Assessment​

‍Questions about whether your paper idea is relevant? Contact us at research@cbhd.org.  ‍‍

Guidelines

  • ‍Submitted papers should not exceed 5,000 words (including notes and references, excluding bibliography) and should be able to be read within 30 minutes. (Please indicate which sections of the final paper [if any] will not be read during the presentation.)
  • All papers will be blind reviewed and evaluated based on the engagement with Christian bioethics, along with the overall quality of scholarship and composition.
  • Submitted papers must not have been submitted for publication elsewhere.‍‍
  • In addition to the paper, all submissions must include an abstract of 250 words and a formal title.
  • The title page should include the following: 2027 Student Paper Competition, title, and name. All subsequent pages should include "Title—page #" in the bottom right of the footer and should include nothing that might identify the author.
  • If students are interested to be considered for the broader call for proposals beyond the single slot allotted to the winner of the student paper competition, they may also submit an abstract of their paper for the general call for proposals before the November 1, 2026 deadline. (In other words, students may submit the same paper for the general call as well as the student paper competition.)
  • Students may submit only one paper to the student paper competition.
  • Co-authored papers are eligible only if all authors are current students (though prize amounts will not be increased).
  • Any student currently pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate degree and has not already received a terminal degree (PhD, MD, JD, ED, DMin, etc.) is eligible.
  • Format: Double-spaced; Times New Roman 12-point font; references should follow Chicago Manual of Style, footnote style.
  • No generative AI, LLMs, nor any similar artificial intelligence program may be used to develop or contribute to the content or citations of a paper. Violations of this policy will result in immediate disqualification.
  • In order to receive the award, awardees must attend the conference and cover all travel and personal expenses.

deadline

All papers must be submitted online by February 1, 2027.

About the Conference

The field of artificial intelligence is changing at a breakneck pace, making it challenging to plan a year in advance for a conference on AI. What will the pressing questions be by the time we gather next summer? Likely, some of the questions that seem important now, as we begin the planning process, will be resolved or eclipsed by new, more pressing issues come June 2027.

However, core concepts such as the imago Dei, human dignity, the fallenness of our world, and the person and work of Jesus Christ remain foundational to addressing whatever issues the coming year will bring. Furthermore, it is worth asking to what degree pressing, and even urgent, issues overlap with those issues that are truly important to human flourishing.

In light of these challenges, CBHD has established a planning committee tasked with identifying speakers and topics for our summer conference on AI and Bioethics. That committee is at work even now, identifying those who can best address questions like: What do developments in AI mean for human dignity and for humanity? How does a Judeo-Christian, Hippocratic framework help us to navigate both the significant promise and the potential perils that AI offers? And what do the latest developments in AI mean for us professionally, personally, and communally?

Join us on the campus of LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, June 24-26, 2027, as we engage questions surrounding AI and bioethics together.

The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity’s annual conference is the leading forum for engaging in Christian bioethics, providing opportunities for equipping and educating students, professionals, clergy, and lay people, as well as professional development credit, academic engagement, and networking for academic researchers, policymakers, educators, clinicians, thought leaders, and students across a variety of disciplines and professional contexts.
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This conference will be available in person, online, or on-demand. There is no wrong way to attend!